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For all intents and purposes, Paul MacLean is being replaced as the Senators coach.

By fellow Maritimer John Chabot, on an “interim” basis, and for no salary whatsoever.

How long “interim” is in this particular situation currently stands as a matter of speculation, as well as the angst of all NHL fans and arena workers, plus many residents and business owners in cities around the league. It could be another day or two, or it could be a month, when Chabot’s regular job with First Nations has him on the road again.

Then, somebody else might have to be called upon to take over from him.

Until that time, or a new CBA is reached between NHL players and owners first, Chabot will be overseeing weekday morning practices — aka “informal skates” — at Bell Sensplex for Senators and others in their union.

When a new CBA is finally signed, MacLean will once again be in charge of the whip and whistle.

“The players want to be ready to go,” said Chabot, who answered the call for assistance from Chris Schwarz, the Senators’ strength and conditioning coach whose job also requires him to spend the off-season physically priming the pros for training camp. “If I can help them out in any way at all, then I’ll come out and help.”

Chabot is certainly qualified for the position.

A Summerside, P.E.I., native who was chosen first overall by the Hull Olympiques in the 1979 QMJHL draft, Chabot went on to suit up for 508 games spread out over eight seasons (1983-91) with the Canadiens (who selected him in the second round of the 1980 draft), Penguins and Red Wings. After numerous playing gigs in Europe and on the Canadian national team, Chabot had a coaching career with the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques from 2001-05, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan from 2005-07, the Islanders (as an assistant) from 2007-09, and then back as the “interim” bench boss of the Olympiques in 2009-10.

At the Sensplex, he’s going to get input from the players to see what they want to do, whether it’s just plenty of skating or “combat” drills like 1-on-1s and 2-on-2s. No doubt some form of scrimmages will also be included to keep the competitive juices flowing.

“We’ll fly by the seat of our pants,” said Chabot. “But it’s fun. It’s great to see the guys get out there. You forget how skilled they are, and they’re going 75%, and they’re going faster than any junior player could hope to go. Passes are on the tape. It’s really nice to be able to participate in a practice like that.

“When they get on the ice they’re not wasting their time. We went out back then, and we went out every day, we scrimmaged and you tried what you want. (Now) there’s guys going close to 100% some times, and people match it. You just get to see the level that they have.”

Chabot does remember what it’s like to be a player in battle against the owners. He was done as an NHLer by the time the 1994-95 lockout occurred, but he did have a up-close look at it coming.

“I was a rep in ’91,” said Chabot. “We kind of set the table for ’94, as far as acrimonious meetings. We knew ’94 was going to happen.

“It’s interesting to see where (the game has) gone over the last 20 years, where there’s been lockouts and strikes. It started from just a little push-back, back then, where we got rid of (player rep Alan) Eagleson, and (Bob) Goodenow had come in, to this point ... I kind of understand both sides to a point, but more the players’ side, where if you push-back the owners a little bit, and unless push comes to shove, where their backs are against the wall sometimes, it just doesn’t work.”

Both sides are nudging each other now, but with the start of training camp and the threat of losing fans who are tired of all the nonsense being all that’s currently at stake, neither is truly in desperation mode. Money will start falling out of pockets once the over-priced pre-season games are set to begin Sept. 23, and when the regular campaign is slated to get going Oct. 11.

“It’s kind of too bad,” said Chabot, who also does charity work for the Senators Alumni. “Two or three years ago I was in Taos, New Mexico, and I watched the finals of the Stanley Cup. It was a jammed bar. Taos, New Mexico, of all places. Basketball was on that night, and nobody watched basketball, they all watched hockey.

“We get this foothold, and it seems every time we take a couple of steps forward, something happens and we take 10 steps back.

“They’ve been saying hockey is the game of the future since 1980,” he added. “It’s a great sport, and when people watch it, they watch it live, and they’re hooked. But it’s to get it out to the masses ...

“It’s like anything else. Once you get people involved, especially Americans, you get them to a game, they see how quick it is, it sells. It sells itself. And if we keep shooting ourselves that way, it’s just going to take longer and longer and longer.